umpteen
/'ʌmpti:n/
Definition
- Adjective:
- Innumerable but many; a very large, indefinite number: Used informally to emphasize a large, unspecified quantity of something. It suggests a count that is too numerous to easily count or bother counting precisely.
Usage
- Informal/Emphatic Quantifier: "Umpteen" is primarily used in casual speech and writing to express a large, exaggerated number. It often carries a tone of slight annoyance, humor, or emphasis on the excessive amount.
- Position: Typically used before a plural noun.
- Note: It is not used with precise numbers or in formal contexts.
Examples
- Before a noun:
Advanced Usage
- "Umpteenth" (Adjective/Ordinal Number): The ordinal form, meaning "the latest in a very long series of repeated events."
Variants and Related Words
- Umpteenth (adj.): Constituting number umpteen in a sequence. (e.g., )
- Umpty (adj., archaic/informal): An indefinite number, often used in "umpty-umpth" or as a precursor to "umpteen."
Synonyms
- Countless: Too many to be counted.
- Innumerable: Too many to be counted (more formal than ).
- Myriad: A countless or extremely great number.
- Numerous: Great in number; many.
- A zillion (slang): An extremely large, indefinite number.
Antonyms
- Few: A small number of.
- Several: More than two but not many.
- Limited: Restricted in number.
Related Idioms/Phrases
- For the umpteenth time: An exasperated phrase used when something has been repeated many times.
Adjective
-
innumerable but many
